Power of Friendship
Magical girls will fight, and indeed, even kill when driven to it. They are, first and foremost, protectors of the light - children of radiance who protect the world from rising tides of dark. But for most, killing is a last resort, to be taken only when negotiation and capture have failed. On some level, even the most bullheaded magical girl realizes that darkness driven back through bloodshed will one day return with a vengeance. To truly defeat the darkness, not merely stay its advance a short time longer... those who walk in shadow must be brought into the light. To begin the process of redemption, a magical girl must spend time talking one-on-one with the creature she wishes to redeem. Few evil creatures are terribly interested in this prospect, and this is usually done while they are in captivity. Any creature without an Intelligence score is immune to this process by virtue of being mindless, and the target must be being taken care of reasonably well – not even the most personable individual can get a prisoner to open up if they are being abused or neglected by their captors. This can prove a difficult process, demanding time, effort, and perhaps most painfully, forgiveness - but there are few rewards so sweet as seeing the light of goodness blossom from the smallest and most forlorn of embers. At the end of a session (which must last at least three hours, but can be more), the evoker attempting the redemption must make a Charisma check against a DC of + the captive's Cha modifier. If she succeeds, she accumulates one success in the process. For every five points by which the magical girl exceeds the DC, she accumulates an additional success. Once ten successes have been accumulated, the target's alignment shifts one step towards that of the magical girl on the Good/Evil scale. If the magical girl fails this check by five or more, she loses two successes from her accumulated total. If she fails the check by ten or more, she has alienated her captive to the point where it is entirely immune to this process until the magical girl gains another level. A number of different circumstances can aid or interfere with the process of redemption. Each of the following modifiers can influence the DC of the magical girl's Charisma check. Unless noted, all applicable modifiers stack. This is not an exhaustive list, and the DM in encouraged to introduce specific and situational goals that might help lower the save DC of a prisoner if pursued (or penalties to be avoided). Modifiers Freedom (DC -5) The captive is free to leave at any time, and is detained neither by threats nor physical force. The magical girl may attempt to convince her captive to stay of its own volition, but to qualify for this modifier it cannot be coerced into doing so. Exceptional Treatment (DC -3) The captive is being treated more as an honored guest than as a prisoner. The prisoner is given a reasonably large space to roam with little to no interference from guards (usually at least the size of a modest home), and has recreational options, comfortable sleeping arrangements, quality meals, and (to a reasonable extent) privacy when they wish it. Gift (DC -3) The captive is presented with a gift of some significant personal value to them. A magical girl does not receive this modifier for simply throwing wealth at a captive - the gift must be something with genuine meaning, such as returning a keepsake or arranging for a visit from a friend or loved one. Lingering Bond (DC -3) The captive knew the magical girl before being captured, and at one point in the past had an attitude of at least Friendly towards her. If the bond was exceptionally strong, such as that of lovers or lifelong friends and companions, this modifier may be increased at the DM's discretion. Following Footsteps (DC -3) The magical girl has called upon the testimony of one of the captive's former allies whom she has already brought to her own alignment through use of the Power of Friendship. Rescue (DC -3) The magical girl saved the captive from some terrible fate. Some villainous employers of great brutality and little intellect make this quite easy through the implementation of extraordinarily and unnecessarily harsh punishments for failure. Persuasion (DC -2) While most of a magical girl's techniques involve much more subtle befriending and empathizing, there is a place in the process for forthright discussion of the captive's future options - and why turning away from darkness serves them far better than escaping back to it. This requires a successful Diplomacy check with a DC equal to + the captive's HD, though the magical girl need not be the one to make the check. Whether it succeeds or fails, such a check can only be made once - on a success it applies its DC modifier to all future redemption checks made against the captive. Jaded (DC +1) In time, even the most heartfelt arguments grow stale, and correcting a misstep can interfere with a magical girl's primary goal. This is a cumulative penalty applied once for each failure on the redemption check, regardless of the failure's magnitude. Accumulated DC boosts from Jaded are wiped away if the magical girl fails a redemption check by 10 or more, as she must essentially begin the process anew when she returns after such a dismal failure. Fear (DC +3) The captive is aware of allies slain or abused by the magical girl. Fear is a powerful driver towards obedience, but it stands in the way of genuine redemption Harsh Captivity (DC +3) Highly intrusive measures have been taken to ensure that the captive remains secure. Continual bindings, confinement to an extremely small living space, or a refusal to even limited quantities of time free of surveillance can all apply this modifier. Ulterior Motives (DC +3) The magical girl or her allies have attempted (successfully or not) to extract some manner of service from the captive. While interrogations or favors asked of a captive can prove quite useful, particularly if the magical girl has reached moderately good terms with them, such requests can cause a captive to question the veracity of the proffered 'friendship'. Lingering Ire (DC +3) The captive knew the magical girl before being captured, and has reason to dislike or mistrust her personally for reasons beyond simply being an enemy combatant. Aligned Essence (DC +5) The creature has an alignment subtype. Such beings are innately tied to their moral code, and swaying them requires truly extraordinary efforts.